KARACHI, PAKISTAN — The confirmed death toll from a devastating fire that ravaged Gul Plaza shopping centre in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi has risen to 67 people, authorities say, with dozens more still missing as rescue and recovery teams enter their seventh day of operations. The tragedy has drawn national grief and renewed scrutiny of fire safety standards in one of the country’s busiest commercial districts.
Inferno at Gul Plaza: How the Blaze Unfolded
The fire broke out late on 17 January 2026 at the multi‑storey Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road, a historic and densely packed shopping complex housing more than 1,200 shops selling garments, electronics, cosmetics, crockery and other goods. The blaze spread rapidly through highly flammable materials, including plastics and textiles, and burned for more than 24 hours before firefighters brought it under control.
While the exact cause remains under investigation, an early report suggested the fire began in a shop storing artificial flowers — possibly sparked by children playing with a lighter, before it spread to electrical wiring and combustible stock.
Rising Fatalities and Difficult Identifications
Local officials confirmed that post‑mortem examinations have been completed for 67 bodies recovered from the wreckage, though only a small fraction have been positively identified so far using DNA testing, underscoring how difficult identification has been amid fragmented remains.
Among those confirmed dead are shopkeepers, workers and visitors who were in the complex when the fire erupted. Some remains were found in large groups inside a single mezzanine‑floor shop, where customers had gathered for a sale during the busy wedding season.
Officials say 77 people remain unaccounted for, and families continue to provide DNA samples in hopes of finding missing loved ones.
Rescue and Recovery Efforts Hit Challenges
Rescue teams, including urban search and rescue units, have worked around the clock to clear debris and locate victims. The collapsed structure and pockets of high heat have made operations hazardous, requiring thermal imaging and specialised cutting tools.
As the search continues, relatives and community members have expressed frustration over the pace of the recovery effort, voicing concerns that heavy machinery might damage remains or hamper identification. Some family members have even attempted to enter the devastated site in desperation to find answers.
Government Response and Compensation Plans
The Sindh provincial government has announced financial aid for affected families, including lump‑sum compensation for the deceased and support for all 1,200 shopkeepers who lost businesses or inventory. This move aims to address both the human and economic toll of the disaster.
Sindh’s governor has also called for a judicial inquiry into the incident, saying that those responsible for safety lapses should be identified and held accountable.
Voices from the Ground: Grief and Criticism
The fire has shaken the local community, with relatives of the missing and deceased gathering near both the mall site and hospitals where bodies are held. Many families are waiting for DNA results or further updates from authorities.
Public anger has grown over perceived inadequacies in safety infrastructure at the complex and the speed of emergency response. Karachi’s markets and industrial zones have a long history of safety concerns, and critics argue that lax enforcement of fire regulations contributed to the scale of the disaster.
Broader Implications for Fire Safety in Pakistan
Fires are a recurrent hazard in Karachi, where inadequate fire exits, narrow passageways, poor ventilation and exposed wiring have long been cited as risk factors in commercial buildings. The scale of the **Gul Plaza inferno — one of the deadliest in Karachi in more than a decade — has rekindled calls for stringent safety inspections and enforcement, especially in crowded markets and malls.
Former incidents, including a 2023 mall fire that killed at least 10 people, have shown similar patterns of rapid spread due to flammable stock and building vulnerabilities, prompting demands for policy and regulatory change.
A Nation in Mourning and Uncertainty
As Karachi continues to search through the rubble, families and officials face the difficult task of laying loved ones to rest and making sense of a tragedy that has upended lives and livelihoods. While the confirmed toll stands at at least 67 deaths, the final count may rise as more remains are recovered and identified.
With the inquiry underway and rescuers still working, the Gul Plaza fire has become a somber reminder of the human cost of safety failures, amplifying the need for systemic reforms to protect citizens in Pakistan’s rapidly urbanising cities.
